


A Bright Light and Deep Darkness: Redux

by DarthUmbreon



Series: A Bright Light and Deep Darkness [10]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dark, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Miscarriage, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rewrite, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-10-27 21:44:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20767403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthUmbreon/pseuds/DarthUmbreon
Summary: An early encounter between Luxanna Crownguard and Darius set them both down paths neither expected. As their paths cross and part again, romance sparks.





	1. First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I was trying to find my way with ABLaDD. I had lost my desire to write more of it. The story was there in my brain, I had a lot of TLJ written out by hand in journals, but... I wasn't really feeling it anymore. 
> 
> One of my problems was that I have changed a lot since I first started writing. I didn't like how I wrote some of the scenes. I've come a long way as a writer and a person. I decided to rewrite chapter 1 of ABLaDD to help me see how far I've come as a writer as well as get that spark going for the story. I don't know if I will rewrite the whole thing, but I'm planning on rewriting all of chapter one.

Luxanna "Lux" Crownguards swung her feet over a ledge and sat down. Both feet kicked slowly over the open air. She rested her chin on her hands and admired the view. High above the streets below it felt safe. On her right glared a sinister gargoyle, her usual Noxian companion. One hand reached out and gave the stone head a soft pat.

“Surprised to see me Ignis,” Lux smiled at the gargoyle. “I finished my mission early. It was easy! I expected more of a challenge, but...” Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. “I hate it. There’s no thrill, nothing changes.”

Ignis gave no reply. She leaned against the cold stone guardian. Her eyes slowly slide shut. Lux went over the plan; first, she went over the routes of the city guards. She had two hours and thirty-three minutes until she needed to be at the east gate. A smile slowly spread across her face. If she hurried, she could be out of Noxus and headed back to Demacia in three minutes. Her eyes snapped open and she scanned the alley below her. She hugged the stone guardian and winked.

“Don’t worry about me! I'll be fine staying late. I’ll say I was stuck in traffic in my report,” Lux lost her smile, her eyes dull. "One more lie won't matter."

“Do you think they’ll be here today,” Lux chewed on her lower lip, eyes searching the ground below her. Blue eyes shifted from the alley below her to Ignis. All that the alleyway contained was trash. It did not hold the two brothers she longed to spot. 

“The brothers weren’t here last week. I worry... If I don’t see them, would you watch out for them?” Lux pleaded with the gargoyle. Her stomach twisted with a hard lurch and she ignored the anxiety growing in the back of her mind. 

Lux released her hold on the gargoyle. She sat up straight and searched the alley for her targets. Blue eyes wandered to the southern exit, then to the northern opening. Both hands curled into tight fists. Her heart ached, a heavy in her chest. She slammed one fist into the ledge. Again and again, she punched the hard ledge until the pain in her heart drowned out.

Lux frowned, her eyebrows drawing into a sharp point. Her mind played the mantra she received in school, that litany of everything wrong with Noxus. A bad taste was on her tongue.  _ Noxus isn’t everything I was taught it would be! Demacia skews the truth more than the Noxians!  _ She tilted her head and whispered into the gargoyle's ear. Lux thought about the best healing spell for her bleeding hand. 

“Can you keep a secret Ignis? I don’t like what Demacia teaches about Noxus. We’re wrong about them! Garen would have my head if I said that! He wouldn't let a traitor dirty the Crownguard name."

** CRASH! Thunk!**

Lux froze and threw up an invisibility spell. Blue eyes scanned the alley beneath her, heart pounding. Something large dashed under her before exiting the alley. Two shapes were near the Southern exit, still and silent. All the blood in her veins went cold. Her body slides off the ledge and started reaching for handholds. She was climbing down the side of the building, one hand slick with blood. Six feet from the ground level she let go of the building and fell the rest of the way. She landed on her feet and started to head towards the southern exit.  _ Please don’t be hurt! Don’t let one of the brothers be dead! _

“I’ll be right back!” The younger brother ran past her. He had blood splatters on his shirt and hands.

Carefully Lux navigated the maze of trash, her heart thudding against her rib cage.  _ He has to be okay! If he dies here, what’ll happen to his brother?  _ At the end of the alley was her answer. The older brother wasn’t dead, but he would be soon with the wounds he had. Blood gushed from a nasty gash on his head, his body covered in dark bruises. She stared at the young man, both hands balled into fists by her side. His breathing came out in short labored gasps, eyes closed, hands still and lifeless.

Lux disguised her hair color before she dropped the invisibility spell. Both of her hands pulled back her hood. She knelt next to the Noxian, her good hand gently pushing black locks away from the wound. His head was hot, feverish. At her touch, his good eye snapped open. His good eye tried to focus on her, but he seemed to have trouble seeing. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, moving away from her touch.

_ I refuse to let him die! Consequences can be dodged. Demacia never has to know.  _ Lux smirked at the Noxian and she grabbed his head with her bad hand and pinned him against the wall. Her uninjured hand glowed a dark green. She ran one finger against the open wound, the spell burning the wound shut. Her palm pressed against his forehead and she pushed the spell deeper. Lux’s smirk softened to a grin when the magic thrumming through her fingers stopped.

“There, all healed!” Lux beamed at the Noxian. She studied his face, her eyes noting the strong jawline, muscular body, and gorgeous green eyes.  _ He’s kinda hot… _ Lux blushed and she yanked her hand back. 

"W-why," The young man focused both of those intense green eyes directly at her. He swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing, and his lips quirked upwards a tiny fraction at the edges. “Why’d you help me?” 

"I don’t know why," Lux looked away from that stare. Her hands fiddled with the strap of her satchel. She sucked in a deep breath and forced her eyes to meet his. For a second her eyes rested on the scar caused by her healing spell. Lux thumped his shoulder with her injured hand and ignored the pain that spiked through her. “I couldn’t let you die. But… that’s not an acceptable answer. Let’s go with because Noxus needs you strong.”

“You’re hurt,” He spoke low and soft, green eyes never leaving her face. His hand grabbed her bad one and he shifted his gaze to her bruised, blood-soaked hand. Gently he placed a soft kiss on the top of her knuckles before letting go. No words of thanks, or praise, just a simple promise. "I will be strong."

"Darius! I couldn't find any help but don't worry I'll be… wait a minute,” The younger brother dashed over to them. He looked at his brother, then at her, then back at his brother. With a fast movement, he moved between Lux and Darius. Both of his shoulders straightened and he planted his hands on his hips. 

“Draven…,” Darius growled at his brother and he looked around the younger boy at Lux. His shoulders heaved as he sighed, green eyes rolling upwards. “I don’t need you protecting me!”

“Whadda ya want? Who are ya? How much didja charge him? Whadda I owe ya, huh?” Draven talked over his brother and didn’t turn away from Lux. His green eyes didn’t stray from his target. “We don’t need no charity!”

“I wasn’t being charitable! I know a good investment in the Noxian military when I see one,” Lux held back a grin. Draven puffed out his chest and smirk took over his face. Unable to hold back her mirth, she covered her smile with one hand. Emotions in check, her hand dropped from her face. She channeled her inner Garen and tried to mimic her brother’s Person in Charge voice. Her index finger jammed into Draven’s chest with each sentence. “I needed practice and your brother made for a convenient test subject. I helped him because I wanted to! It’s good for Noxus to have if I help you stay healthy.”

“Answer his question,” Darius shoved his brother to the side with a grunt. Draven staggered for a second and grabbed hold of the offending arm for balance. The two brothers exchanged dark looks. Draven stuck out his tongue and released his grip on his brother. Arms crossed over his thin chest, he took turns glaring at both of them. “Who are you, miss?”

“I’m Anna,” Lux rolled back on her heels before standing up. She stepped back and Darius stood up, his body easily two heads taller than her.  _ How did I ever think he was a boy! _ Lux couldn’t keep her emotions contained, a tiny smile escaped and grew larger the longer she talked with the two Noxians. “I believe you’re Darius.”

“And I’m Draven!” Draven pounded his chest with one hand. He bounced on his feet and returned her friendly smile with a huge grin. Black eyebrows waggled at her before he went into a deep bow. “I don’t share the wonder that is Draven with others, but I’m going to make an exception for you.”

“Lucky me,” Lux glanced between the two brothers. Draven had given up trying to glare at her. He kept his gaze centered on Darius. His green eyes scanned his brother up and down. Small hands already decorated with scars poked at his brother.

"You are talking to the wonder that is Draven! You must be a very powerful mage to know such a spell. By helping my brother, you have given yourself the honor of helping me. You should thank me." Draven flashed her a cheeky grin before he went back to checking his brother for injuries. Darius was silent, that somber, speculative focused on her never faltered.

“Thank you Draven, I’m honored to be basking in your glorious radiance,” Lux gave a deep curtsy to the younger brother. Her blue eyes danced with laughter that wanted to come out. Draven puffed out his chest and waggled his eyebrows at her. She bite her tongue to contain wayward giggles. The wind shifted and Lux made a face, as her nose was rammed by the sticky sweet stench of sweat, body fluids, and grime.

“I’m going to practice a spell,” Lux reached into her satchel and pulled out a water bottle. A few hard presses with a fingernail into the cap carved the magic symbols for water, purify, and refresh. Draven leaned close and watched her work. One hand unscrewed the cap and she winked at Darius. “Hold still.”

“Wha--,” Draven jumped when the cold water hit his head. His eyes grew large when the water kept flowing despite the small size container. Arms flailing he scrambled and dashed behind his brother. “HEY! That’s cheating! Darius… help!”

“Darius, please help me get your brother all cleaned up,” Lux graced Darius with a bright smile. He nodded and reached around him. Large hands grabbed his brother and moved him in front of Lux. Darius held his brother in place, hands firmly planted on his brother’s shoulders.

“Dirty traitor!” Draven squirmed and moved his head away from the handkerchief Lux wielded in one hand. He kicked at his brother and Lux, every once of him fighting. “I’m always handsome. Being dirty gives me extra charm! I don’t need a bath. Lemme go! Darius!”

“You’re both filthy! Now that I’m here, I plan on fixing that.” Lux scrubbed away on Draven, her hands merciless in her task. After four pristine handkerchief died for the cause, she stepped back. Already the smell was dying down. Draven glowered at her, clean cheeks red. 

“I hate ya. Both of ya. So very much!” Draven snarled and he gave one last kick towards his brother. He was rewarded with a soft grunt of pain from his brother for his efforts.

“You’ll live,” Darius kept his hold firm. His eyes were bright and something that might be called a smirk tugged at his lips.   


“What about Darius, doesn’t he get a bath,” Draven whined as he held still, shoulders slumped low. Darius held onto Draven until Lux gave him a thumb’s up. With a deep growl the younger brother made rude hand gestures at the two people tormenting him. Draven settled into a harsh glare at Lux and stuck out his tongue for a moment. 

“He’ll get clean as well,” Lux turned her gaze from Draven to Darius. The younger brother looked at Darius, then Lux, then back to Darius. “Do I need to ask Draven for help? Or are you capable bathing yourself?”

“Hmmm,” Darius looked at her for a long moment. His shoulders gave a small shrug. A wicked grin flashed her way. Butterflies came to life in her stomach and started brawling. “I can clean myself, but I wouldn’t mind if you helped.”

“Pffft, I’ll help ya bro! I’m the better man for the job,” Draven shoved one hand at Lux and motioned. He yanked the offered cleaning supplies away from Lux. He crumbled them in his tight fists and gave his brother a smug look. “Gimme the goods and I’ll make sure he gets clean. I owe it to him!”

“Wha--, wait a second, don’t you dare…” Darius groaned and held still. His younger brother scrubbed away at any exposed flesh. Soon the grime was defeated and Draven tossed the used handkerchiefs over one shoulder. “I didn’t want your help!”

“I know ya didn’t want my help, that’s why I helped!” Draven looked away from his brother and turned his attention to Lux. “What are ya doing? Ya going already?”

“I live far from here, and I'm late heading home. Best of luck," Lux closes her bag and turns towards the end of the alley. One hand waves a farewell. Before she can get very far an arm slams into the wall by her, blocking the way. Darius was blocking her path, his face emotionless. A stone grew in her stomach, hot and heavy. She gulped down her fears and stared at Darius.

"Wait! What about the magical water bottles? Ya can’t go yet, we haven’t paid ya for it!" Draven eye's are large and he dashes in front of her. One hand holds the water bottle and he shoves it at her. “Take it! We couldn’t afford it!”

"I am not giving them to you, nor am I am taking it with me…,” Lux held up her hand and pushed the water bottle back at Draven. She glanced from the younger brother to the older one. “I left in such a rush that I forgot to bring them with me. In three days the spell will expire. I will be very annoyed, and I’ll need to make a new water bottle," Lux says curtly. Despite her stern tone, she smiles at them.

"Will we ever see ya again? Please?" Draven is giving her a look akin to hero worship. He gives her a wide hopeful grin. She notices that he is missing one of his front teeth. Her stomach drops that awful weight and she can’t bring herself to lie to him.

"Of course we will Draven. Anna is a powerful mage who knows a lot of spells. She will remember her water bottles, and fetch them within three days," Darius gave her a strange look. His arm dropped from the wall and he moved out of her way. Those green eyes never left her. 

Lux can't quite decide what the emotions were in his eyes, but they were intense. She had to escape before she made more terrible choices. This whole situation would be a nightmare if her family discovered the truth!

"Where will we see ya in three days Anna?!" Another wide, hopeful smile meets her eyes.   
  
“Here. I can meet you here, in this same alley. Before sunrise on the third day,” Lux spoke the promise without hesitation. Her body felt light and warm. This wasn’t a bad decision, just one she had to keep secret. “I give you my word.”

With a wave of her fingers, Lux walks away from Darius and Draven. Once she is out of sight a large sigh escapes. After making sure one can see her Lux releases the illusion spell on her hair. A faint flicker of light is all left of her as she goes invisible again. Quickly she dashes down the small, twisted back roads trying to make up for lost time.  _ Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I just aided the enemy in a way I should never have done. That is it, I'm refusing all future missions into Noxus!  _ Lux didn’t look back, but her departure from Noxus harder than any time before.


	2. Brotherly love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lux deals with her own family before returning to Noxus as promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoy this part~

Lux stared at a point above her brother's left shoulder. Garen sat behind a massive oak desk decorated with their family crest interlocked with the crest for Demacia. Paperwork was neatly stacked in large piles. Her brother scribbled down some notes not looking at her. Shivers ran down her spine and she felt her brothers' hard stare hidden behind his lowered head. 

Magic itched under her skin, her entire body cloaked with a powerful illusion spell. Emotions, raw and wild, lent additional power that coursed through her veins like ice. She wasn’t certain if the chill in her blood was from prolonged magic use or the terror of discovery. Garen was very adept at reading faces and she had no desire for him to see through her lies. Magic was forbidden, sympathy for the enemy was high treason, everything she had done in the past few hours would see her dead. The written lies on her mission report were easy enough, no one questioned her about the contents of her statement. Garen coughed quietly and Lux snapped her focus back to her brother. Blue eyes devoid of emotion looked through her.

"Captain Crownguard, I request to be removed from all future missions into Noxus. I have collected the information we need the most. There are other jobs I'm better suited for, Sir. Allow me to better serve Demacia," With that said, Lux knelt on her right leg, her left hand on the floor, eyes glued to the blue, yellow, and white tiles. Her head rested on her right thigh while her right hand is held in a tight fist against her chest. It was one of the first things she mastered in school, proper military etiquette. 

As a family member of House Crownguard, Lux didn’t have many people above her to submit too. Technically Garen wasn’t a higher rank, but he wasn’t below her either. They held separate, but equal, roles in the Demanican military. Lux needed all the extra support possible to get out of her current assignment. _Please, please, please accept my request...please!_

“Hmmm,” Garen tapped his pen against the top of the desk, thumb pressing down on the end. Clickity-clack, clickity-clack. It looked tiny in his large hands. Small and insignificant, easily broken and discarded. Lux felt like that pen.

“Please,” Lux gulped and looked up. Their eyes met for a long, silent moment. Garen let out a deep sigh and set down the pen. His hands clasped together and his eyes closed. All of her nerves burned, clashing painfully with the cold.

"Very well. I’ll have the transfer of duty written up by morning. You have shown true dedication and service to Demacia, this humble request shall be granted. Your next duty of command will be spying in Zaun," Garen freed her from his harsh gaze, focus drawn back to the paperwork.

“Thank you,” Lux beamed, eyes bright. Tension and fear drained out of her in a rush. Warmth fought back against the icy chill, surges of hope swallowed her whole.

“Do not thank me with words. Prove your gratitude with success,” Garen wrote some words down on a small piece of parchment. He set down the pen and pulled out his Captain’s seal from the desk. It stamped the paper and he held it out without looking up. “For Demacia.”

“For Demacia,” Lux thumped her chest with her fist and stood up. Her hand shook slightly, hidden by the illusion. Lux gave her brother a happy smile, a true one not obscured by lies or magic. A smile that he did see, or return. She took the parchment and glanced over the approved provisions. Garen had approved limited supplies that she could ask from the QuarterMaster, this was going to be brutal! She would have to get properly supplied with her own funds!

Rain, cold and relentless, drenched the city-state of Noxus. The murky black moat water was high enough to spill over into the streets. Shallow canals that ran parallel to the streets and sidewalks were full. Small waterfalls of water trickled down, seeping through every level in the city. Thick black clouds that boiled in the sky made it impossible to determine the time. Two brothers had braved this weather in silence. Completely soaked, they stood to watch outside of a certain alleyway.

"She's coming," Pleaded the younger of the two brothers. He looked up at this older brother and tugged on his hand. “Right?”

“Yes, she’ll be here,” The older of the two ruffled his younger brother's hair, water droplets were shaken out. He grabbed the small hand on his and gave it a soft squeeze. “But if you’re cold, you can wait inside someplace.”

"Me? Cold? Ha! Draven is not defeated by the weather! I think you should get out of the rain. I'll be fine, you won't be," Draven stated this in a firm matter of fact tone. He shivered slightly and pressed both hands into his older brother’s palm. Darius rubbed their hands together.

"She is coming, right? We didn't miss her in the rain," Draven gave his older brother another anxious glance.

“Draven, it’s okay. We haven’t missed her in the rain. Of course, she’ll show! Cause if she doesn't, I'll have some choice words to say..." Darius growled out. His gaze swept the street and he glanced down at his brother. He mustered a small smile.

"Ohhhhh, say what exactly? I'd love to hear these choice words…,” Anna greeted them from behind, voice bright and cheerful. Several layers of warm clothing covered her. The only visible features wisps of dyed black hair, blue eyes, and a wide grin. Lux weaved countless spells into her cloak years ago to ward off the chill, rain, heat, and many other weather-based hazards. She silently thanked her past self for it! When she heard the brothers worried about missing her, a warm fuzzy feeling welled up inside. For them, she gave her true smile, a small but bright grin that crossed her face and stayed.

"Anna! Anna! You came back! I was…,” Draven spoke in an excited rush before he paused. An embarrassed cough left him. Thin shoulders went straight and he hugged her tightly. His face was buried in her shirt and he looked up at her with wide eyes. Lux froze a second before she returned the hug. The warm smile he gave her showed two missing front teeth instead of one. “Of course you're here. I never doubted you!" 

"Draven, let her go. You'll get her cold and wet,” Darius pried his brother off Anna. Draven stuck out his tone and blew a raspberry. He threw Anna an apologetic look and shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. My outfit is enchanted against the weather. I stay dry in most circumstances. I’m not certain I could get wet,” Lux gave Draven a soft, one-armed hug. She thought about the limitations of her enchantments. Possible scenarios ran through her mind. Her shoulders rose and fell slightly. “I think short of getting shoved into a puddle, or one of those overflow channels, I’m safe.” 

"No worries Anna! I’ll keep you safe. No one shoves my friends into puddles or the canals," Draven puffed out his chest and thumped it loudly with one fist. He gave Anna a big wink. His other hand made a sign for approval. 

"No one will shove you into a puddle. They'll have to get through me first," Darius reassured quickly. He gave the few souls that wandered the street with a dark, menacing stare. The foot traffic soon vanished under his harsh look. Once it was the three of them, he glanced at Anna. His face was full of intense emotion.

"Me too! Me too! I’ll protect you. Oh! Oh! Oh,” Draven stopped the middle of his glare and started to dance in place. Each excited oh came with an impatient stamp of his feet on the wet pavement. “I have a surprise for you. Darius helped a little, tiny, small bit, but it was mostly me. C'mon, follow me," Draven grabbed Anna’s hand and started down the street.

"A surprise? Should I be afraid," Lux teased with a fond voice. She let Draven lead her through the narrow, twisting streets. Darius walked by her side. Even though her clothing, she felt the intensity of his emotions. Emotions that she didn’t know the name of. Unafraid, she snuck the occasional sneak peek at the older brother.

Darius never strayed from her side. People hurried across the full canals, eager to get away from the harsh glare. That look came her way and lost all the hardness. Her face turned a shade of pink and she couldn’t look away. Darius broke into a small grin of his own before he went back to scaring away the foot traffic around them. Lux felt her heart beat faster. No one in Demacia ever bothered to protect her like this! Both brothers protecting her was a gift. No matter what surprise they had for her it was leagues above the legendary gifts given in Demacia. Back home gift-giving was a common ritual, given frequently without emotion or care. Soon their pace slowed before they came to a stop in front of a modest shop. Delicious scents wafted out of the entranceway. Lux drooled at the smells, her stomach producing an audible growl.

"Tada! Here we are! Draven is treating you to Sinful Succulence. As my friend, you deserve this honor," Draven struck a dramatic pose and beamed at her, eyes alight with emotion.

"No, we're treating her. I did most of the work. Ignore Draven, he's trying to steal the spotlight," Darius glared at his brother without heat. Draven didn’t stop his antics and rushed up to the door. He paused and held the door open for Anna. Darius gave his brother a small thumbs up from behind Anna and walked in after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to remove a lot of the "Tell" I wrote originally and rewrite it with "Show". Nothing like rewriting an older story to help me really appreciate how much I've grown as a writer!

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the original if anyone wants to read it:  
https://archiveofourown.org/works/2253177/chapters/4945515


End file.
